What If?
by Sweets Omega
Summary: This is one of those stories that tells what might have been, if things had happened differently.


**Sweets Had Gone Back And Talked With Salty?**

We all know how things went, but one always wonders what might have happened . . . This is a story of just that: What if?

* * *

The moon would be full in another week, but meanwhile, it was time for the Moonlight Howl. I walked along beside my best friend Candy. We were headed up the path to the Howling Rock to find dates for the Howl. Who knew? Maybe we would find our future mates that very night!

"Your fur, it looks fantastic tonight!" I smiled and told Candy as we walked. Her fur DID look fantastic! I could tell she'd done something different to it, and I was SO impressed with the result. She proceeded to tell me about what she'd put into her bath, and how, according to her "It totally relaxes the knots!"

As we went to walk along the path, we both saw Salty waiting, watching us as we got closer. We stuck our noses up in the air, and I raised my tail. "Hey!" he called out. As we went past, my tail brushed his muzzle, he was so close to the path, and he ended up licking my tail lightly. Candy and I kept on walking.

As we got close to the base of the rock, we heard him yell "Hey!" again, and we stopped, looking back at him to see what he'd follow up with. When he didn't say anything more, Candy turned to me, laughing and shaking her head. Just at that moment, I looked back at him, and saw the moonlight shining on him at just the right angle - he was more handsome than he'd seemed before . . . "I'll see ya later, Candy. I'm gonna go back and talk with him. I hope you find someone, too."

I didn't even look to see Candy's reaction, though I heard her snort and say "Whatever, Sweets. If you wanna waste your time with that loser, that's up to you. Good luck, you'll need it!"

I turned back and walked up to Salty. I laid my ears back, smiled, and wagged my tail. "Heya, Salty. Ya wanna go to the Howl with me?"

He looked at me with a mixture of shock and pleasure, a slow smile starting to show on his muzzle. "Uhhh . . . Yeah, Sweets, I'd - I'd LOVE to . . ." He looked back at his friends, Shakey and Mooch, who both gave him the "paws up" sign, grinning from ear to ear. They looked as shocked as he did, to tell you the truth. They'd obviously never heard of it being a girl's right to change her mind.

I turned back towards the rock. "Shall we, then?" I waited for him to join me. The poor boy was still in shock that I actually came back to talk with him, after seeming uninterested when Candy and I had first walked by. He hurried to my side, as if he was afraid I'd walk away again if he wasn't fast enough. "It's all right, Salty." I looked over at him and smiled. "I've chosen you for my date tonight."

He grinned at me. "Sorry, Sweets, I'm just surprised, that's all. I expected you and Candy to laugh at me and walk away. When you turned around and came back . . ."

"Hee-hee!" I smiled. "Well, I sense that there's more to you than meets the eye, Salty. I'm willing to give you the chance to prove it. Let's find a place as far up as we can get as Omegas, all right? Looks like the good spots are filling up fast, though - we'd better hurry up and get there, don't you think?"

He nodded and his grin widened as he realized that I wasn't playing a cruel trick on him. I was completely serious about howling with him to see if our howls matched. If they did, we were destined to be mates. He still seemed to be in a daze as he walked along beside me up the path. His gaze never left me, as if he was afraid I'd disappear if he looked away. He stumbled a time or two on rocks in the path, but didn't fall, much to my delight. He had a pretty good sense of balance, despite his awkward appearance.

We reached the base of the rock, and started the climb up the path to find a spot for us to be for the evening. We found one about halfway up, much to our surprise and delight. "Please, Salty." I sat and motioned him to sit next to me. "We can't howl together if we're not sitting together, now can we? Hee-hee!"

His look brightened even more as he sat next to me. "Yeah, Sweets, that would be kinda hard, huh? Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

We passed the next few minutes making small-talk, waiting for the howl to really begin before we would join in. More and more couples were warming up, and Salty and I were just about to start when we heard an ear-splitting racket from on top of the rock! It was Garth, the son of the leader of the Eastern Pack, trying to impress Kate with his "howling skills". We both clapped our paws to our ears to try to block out the horrid sound. The howl was ruined, because even after we saw Kate running back down the path a few moments later, Garth kept right on "howling". No one could concentrate with that going on!

Salty and I looked at each other, got up, and left the rock as fast as we could! Once we were out of ear-shot of Garth's sounds, I sadly looked over to Salty. "So much for our date, Salty. I'm sorry, but I'm not in the howling mood anymore . . ."

He looked sad, too. "I completely understand, Sweets. Truthfully, I'm not, either."

I brightened up a little. "Maybe some other time, then . . ."

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah, Sweets. That would be nice.

"Hey, can I at least escort you to your den?"

"Sure, Salty. That would be very nice of you. It's over this way." I led the way, and soon we were at the entrance to my dug-out den out in the forest, away from the den-rock.

"Well," I said, "here it is. My home. I used to stay in my Mom's den with her, but I decided I needed a place of my own."

He looked it over, smiling. "Looks like a cozy little place, Sweets."

I lowered my head a bit, slightly embarrassed, smiled, and wagged my tail. "Awww . . . Thank you, Salty. It was originally a fox den, but I dug it out to fit me. It took me forEVER to get that smell out, though . . ."

He took a deep breath, his nose taking in the scent of my den. "It smells nice, now, though. Smells like you." It was his turn to be embarrassed.

"Hee-hee-hee-hee! I'm glad to know I smell nice!"

He put his paw on his forehead as he shook his head and looked down. "I can't believe I said that . . ." he muttered to himself.

I put my paw on his shoulder. "No, no, no, Salty. It's all right. I appreciate the compliment, really."

"Really?" He looked at me for a moment, not seeming to know if I was serious or not.

"Uh-huh." I nodded and smiled. "Really."

"Well . . . uh, you're welcome, Sweets." He smiled back at me.

"Hopefully, things'll be sorted out with Garth by the Moonlight Howl next week. It'll be a full moon, then. Extra-special to all of us. They say that's when you're most likely to find your future mate." I turned toward my den and smiled back at him over my shoulder. "Well, goodnight, Salty."

"I've heard that about a full-moon Howl, too." He tilted his head to the side, frowning slightly. "So . . . you'd still go on a howl with me?"

I grinned at him. "Hee-hee! Of course, I would, silly! I've gotta give you at least one chance."

"Well, thanks, Sweets! I never thought I'd have a chance with someone as pretty as you are . . ."

"Awww . . . well, thank you, Salty." Suddenly, I yawned. I put my paw over my mouth, and looked down in embarrassment. "I'm SO sorry!"

"Oh, that's all right, Sweets. I'm getting sleepy, myself . . ." He proceeded to yawn, too. "See?" he added, then chuckled. "I'd better get back to my den and crash out. Goodnight, Sweets, and thanks again for giving me a chance."

"You're very welcome, Salty. If I hadn't happened to look back again just when I did, I probably would have just laughed right along with Candy and walked away. I believe things happen for a reason."

"Me, too, Sweets. I wondered why you came back. I sure didn't expect it. I'm grateful you did, though. I feel like we might have something. I guess we'll know for sure after next week's Howl.

"Well, see ya, Sweets." He turned and walked away, seeming tired, but very happy.

I turned and went into my den, in a better mood than I'd been in since I couldn't remember when. I turned around three times and settled down to sleep.


End file.
